Gear-cutting machine.



A. KINGSBURY.

GEAR CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23. l9l2.

Patented Dem 18, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- IINVENTOR 2: 2 ATTORNEY A. KINGSBURY.

GEAR.CUTTING MACHINE. APBLICATIOI FILED OCT. 23. IN]!- 1,250,320.Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Z SHEETS-4"! 2- may A'noii ALBERT KINGSBURY, OF PITTSBURGH, PEN ELECTRICAND MANUFACTURING COMPA NSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE NY, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

GEAR-CUTTING MACHINE.

1 ,esogaeo.

Application filed October 23, 1812.

To all whom, it may concern:

lle it known that I, Alan-arr 1(INGHHUR, a eitizen ol the United States,and a residenl of Pittsburgh, in lhe county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have. ln-

vcnted a new and useful Improvement in (lear-(lutting \'Iaehines, olwhich the fol: lowing is a pecification.

My invention relates to geaneutting niaohines, and it has specialreference to such machines as are adapted lo cut double heli-- ad orherringbone gears.

The object of my invention is to provide an automat ie machine of theclass above indicated that shall be adapted to cut herring-bone gearshaving relatively narrow slots between their righbhand and efthandteeth, with a relatively small loss of: material.

The advantages secured by the use ol double-helical o herring-bone gearsare well understood, the fart that they are dillieult and relativelyexpensive to manufacture being the principal reason why theyhave nothitherto been more. extensively utilized.

According tomy present invention, I provide all automatic machinecomprising a panof eutting tools which have traight line re eipri :atorymovements and means for so adjusting axutfeeding a gear blank as to outa herring-bone gear having lrue involute leelh.

Figure. l, of lhe aeeompanying drawings, isa plan View of an automaticnraehine eon strueted in aeeordanee with my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 areelevations, at right angles to each other, of the work-supporting mem-B-and Fig. 4 is a vi w looking in the direclion ol the arrow L of Fig.l, sllOWing the driving motor and one of the shapers which l OIIU partsof the lnaelnne. Fig. 5 is an ele V vation of the worlesiuiportingmember from the side opposite to that ol Fig. 3', lfu 6 is a diagrammaic view showing the mutant onilectiol'ib for the driving and feed motorsand the, tool nn'te nets of llle maehine, and Fig. 7 is a detailplanview showing the relation bet ween certain ofthe op rating parts ol' themach-hie. i

Referring to l i s. 1. to 5, inclusive, of the drawiifigs, theInaeiiine, here shown comprises a bed plate lea pair of shaper pedestals2 and 3, a driving motor 4', a worlesupport!ng member 5 and a l'eedmotor (3.

The pedestals 2 and 3 have enlargements Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 18,191

Serial No. 727,394.

or base projections 7 and 8 and are )lVolL- ally mounted about: centers9 and 10,, eiug seeured to the bed plate 1 by bolts ll and 12 whichextend througrli eireumterential slots 13 and 14: in the baseprojections, ,"lhfe arrangement of parls is such that the bolts may beloosened, the shaper pedestals ad--.

justed to any desired angle, as indicatedby protraetor dials 15 and 1G,and clamped in position by tightening lho bolts.

Two carriages 17 and lb are :nliustably supported upon the pedestals i),and l-l and are reriprocatcd hy the motor i to which they arerespectively connected, on the one hand. by a runnccting rod ltl and acom-- bined gear wheel and eranleheml 20 which l'neshes with a motorpinion 2i and, on the other hand, by aeonneeting rod 22, a eolnlnnedgear wheel and crank-heml 2? and an idler gear wheel 24: interposedbetween the gear wheel 23 and the pinion 2L.

The arrangement of parts is such u erine motor drives the gear wheels 20and 23, at

the same. speed in opposite directions; The connections between the rods'1!) and and their respective eranleheznls are adjustable so that theextent oft-ravel of the gear wheel 24 and its shaft 27 are rotativelysupported.

The. arrangement of parts is such that the driving eonneetions abo'vedescribed.

lfiaeb of the shaper earriages l7 and i8 is provided with a v shaperhead 29, to whieh a tool holder 30 is pivot ally secured, and with :tuiagi'ietilllffor so tilting, the tool holder as to lilt the tool:

out of range of the worlg, while'the gear either or both of the. shaperpedestals iuay bef angular-l :Hljllstctl without'lnt'erferlngwithvertivally tidjiislhhle blank is being; hacked to its initial;positional'ter eaeh tooth slot is eoinpleted aslm-(ij al'ter pointed oul. Theerank beads 20 and L3 are so Setrela} tively\ lo each other that theshape! ear riages alternate in their st roltes. lhe angle of inelinationof these earriages to the axial line. of the gear determines the. pitehof the spiral of the leetlato he rnt.. 'lhis angle may be adjusted overcomparatively wide limilsf The work-stipporting member 5 eomprises a bed32, a spindle 3o, whieh is rotatively supported in bearings :37 and 3H,and a spindle carriage 39.

The bed 32 is supported on a vertical feed screw 33 aml is provided withguide projeetions 34 which operate in suitably slotted guide bracketsan.

The spindle earriage Jil is providedwith a bracket. earrying lhe spindlebearings 37 amt-38in whieh the spindle is rolalively supported.

The spindlecarriage is transversely adjustable on the bed 3:2, itsposition being dependent upon'a teed screw ll.

The spindle. 36 is provided with a projertion l2 ronslitutinp a dividinghead spind=le with which is assoi-iated indexing mechanism of anysuitable type. .\s shown in the drawings, such indexing merhanismcomprises a worm wheel lit, an index plate. 4.4; which is serured tosaid worm wheel lit. and an index pawl 45. The worm wheel 43 isrotatively mounted on the p'rojertion 42. the index plate 44 beingsecured to, aml forming a. part ol, the worm-wheid. and the index pawl45 is splined to the projeetion 42 and is baclted by a spring 46. sothat it.

may be moved longitmlilially ot' the projeetion but is foreed. to turnwith the spindle. The spindle 36 is rotated when a pin projeetion 47 ofthe index pawl 45 engages a hole in the. index plate 44. since anoperative conneetion is thus est ablished from the worm wheel 43 to thespindle. The worm wheel :3 is driven by a worm 48, which mounted on inextensible shaft composed of adriven member l9 and a tubular driving,member 50 operati-vely eonneeted to the *feed motor ll by neans of agear wheel 51 and a motor pinion 52. The driven member ofthe shaft tehgi iyopes into the tubular driying member in a Well knownmanner,thereby permittinfi'the neeessary transverse adjnstlite-at: ofthe spiml'le earriagetlii.

The vertical fee-(l' sm' e\v l-l3 on vhieltit-he earriage '32 ismounted, is provided with a worm wheel 53 which meshes with a-yvorm 54,a handfyvheell 55' being secured to the opposite end of a shaft 56 fromthe worm 54 and adapted, when operated, to tnrn' 'the feed serewfi Almoek-ont'lever 57 is pivotnll support.- ed at 58 on a projection 59 ofthe ed 32 and is held in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2of-the drawings, by a spring-( twee that it is free to move; in onedirection, in oppositionto the spring, but is prevented by eot-iperatingstop projections 61 from 'mov ing farthest-in the opposite direction.

to slowlyfeed the s ward the knockout lever 57. the knock-out.

lever is merely pushed aside by the flange (iii, but. when the spindleearriage is moving in the opposite direction, the engagement between theflange (tit and the ltnoeli-ont lever l'orees the pawl 45 outward, inopposition to the spring to, thereby releasing the. pin projeelion l7from the index plate ii and permitting' the gear wheel :33 and the indexplate to be rot atively moved indepemlently ot the spindle until the pinprodeetion 47 falls into the next hole in the index plate.

.\n v other suitable automatir indexing, arrangement may, of roin'se, beemployed within the spirit aml srope of my invention.

As shown in Fig. 5 of. the drawings, an

auloniatie eontrol switehitii is mounted on= the spindle bed 32 amt isactuated atpredetermined limits in the travel at the spindle earriage 39by adjnstable stops 65 and 66. The switrh eomprises an insulating faceplate ti? having a pluraliify of stationary eon-tart members (58 securedtoits surface, and a movable contact. member 69 which is pivotallysupported at 70 and constrained, by means of a spring 71, to occupy theone or the other of two positions a and b. The switch positions aredetermined by stops 72.

Referring to Fig. (3 of the drawings, the t'eed motor ti comprises anarmature 73 and a tield magnet winding 74, and is provided withtield-regulating resistors 75 and 76 and an armature resistor 7?.

The motors 4 and (5 are supplied with enorgy, from any suitable sonree,through line eondurtors 78 and 79.

The operation of the machine is as follows Assuming that a gear blankBis firmly supported at the end of the spindle-36 and hasa suitable slot81 out in tt:s eylindrieal.

surface to separate the two parts of the gear; that the spindle carriage15 adjusted to the bottom of the desired tooth slots in the.

gear, the, motor} may be started to set the tools in operation, and themotor 6 started fromthe feed motor 6,

pindlo earriage away,

The shaper tools, they move in their working strokes inwardly toward thecener 01'. median slot 81 of the blank, will, of course, start to cutthe gear blank at only two points which lie adjacent to the median slot.,These initial cuts are evidently very short. However, as theoperationcontinues and the spindle carriage progresses and the top of the spindleis rotated bi-ickwarclly by means of the reduction gearing, the tools'will gfaduallycut longer and decfner slots until slots of full depthextend 'tlQ entire widthpf the blank.

The stop 66 is so placed as to actuate the movable switcharmfii when thegear blank has so far progressed that the first tooth slot is complete,the arrangement of parts being such that the flange 63 of the index pawlhaspassed the'lmoelcfout lever 57.

When the stop 06 engages the upper end of the movable switch arm 69, itis thrown from the position a in which it illustrated. to the position71.

- In position a, the circuit connections for the feed motor arecompleted as follows: from conductor 78, through armature ro sister 77,a conduclor a pair of conlact members 83-which are bridged by one branch84 of the movable switch arm a conductor 85, the motor armature 73,eonductor 86, a pair of contact memlnn-s 87-- which are bridged by theopposite branch of the a1'1nand a conductor 88 lo the line conductor 79.A field circuit established from the conductor 78 through the fieldregulating resistor 7F, the field magnet winding ('4, a conductor 89,contort fingers 90 and 87 and the oonrlnrtor 88 to the line conductor79. 7

When the switch occupies its position I the current traverses lhc motor:nfnnrture 73 in. the reverse (llrtClhfll, and the resistor 76 isintroduced into the field circuit Consequently, the motor reversed andits speed is materially illCj eased. Furthermore, a circuit isestablished from the onductm' through contact members and 531; aconductor the magnet coils 31, a comluctor 93, contact members 94 and 87and the eonductor S8 to the line conductor 79. Thus, when'the feed motorls reversed the magnets 31 1 are energized.

As hereiubeliore pointed out. the magnets EH, when energized, raise'theshapvr tools sulliriently to clear the gear blank.

the gear blank and the spindle carriage are moved rapidly toward thefeed niottn', the index pawl is trippr-l' il, as above indicated, andpermits the pin projection 47 toinovr llll'H the next hole in the indexvial-cf e holes in the index plate are so s iaeed produce the necessaryrotal'ive adjust- MM 152 near blank relatirt-vl'o the feed properlyspacing the tooth me in: I is therefore evident that, as the adjustmentis automatically effected and,

when the stop engages the arm (59 of the control switch, the feed motoris again 71} reversed, and the gear blank is slowly fed through anotherculling stroke.

' The structure shown inthe drawings and set forth in the foregoingdescription may be variously modified by person's skilled in 75' the artto which my invention relates, and 1 its'clements may be replaced byequivalent parts, without departing from the scope of my invention. Itis thereforeto be understood that any invention coniiprehends' all. suchmodifications and changes and is lun.-. ited only by 'the scope of theappended A claims. l

I claim as my invention:

l. ln :1. gear cutting mnchilu':, the oombi.- nation with a rotaryspindle lo which a gear blank may be secured, of means forsimultnneously imparting a transverse and rotatiw inovonu-nl to thespindle. and cutting tools adapted to cut alternnlr-ly from oppo 91)site Hillt'S of the blank toward lhe center.

2. In a gear culling nun-lone the combination with a. rotatable gearblank carrier, of menus for imparting a transverse movement and arot-alive nmvementto the carrier, 95 and a pair of reciprocating cuttingtools adapted to cut alternately from op1')osite sides of the blanktoward its central plane.

3. In a gear-cutting machine, the combination with a rotatable rearblank carrier, and means for innoarting, a transverse 1novelnent and arotntive movement to the carrier, or a pair of reciprocating cuttingtools adapted to out alternately from opposite sides of the blanktoward'its central plane, and means for reversing both movements of theblank (-arr ier at predetermined limits in the ll'flllHQlSell'llOVOTllGlll thereof.

4. In a gear-cutting machine, the combination with a rotatable gearblank carrier, 11.0 means for importing a transverse movement and arol'ativemovement. to the carrier, and a pair of reciprocating cuttingtools adaptedto outalternately from opposite sides of the blank towardits central plane, of means for reversingboth movements of the blankcarfit)! at predetermined limits in the trans verse movement thereof,and means for pro-. during; a relative adjustment of the carrier(luring;- eavh return stroke.

5. in :1 p'varwutting nnwhine, the combination illl a rotary blankcarrier, :1 fer-d law for producing a transverse .rnovtunent iherc i.means operativcly connected to the row for simullanemisly producing a to1:; tative movement of the earrier, means for driving the feed screwalternately in oppt sitcdirectioma, and an automatic index moch anismfor producing a rotativeadjustment of the carrier daring eaohretnrn'stroke of the carrier, of a air of reciprocating tools cuttingalternate y' from opposite sides of the blank toward the center.

6. In a ear-cutting machine, the combination witi a rotary bla'nkcarrier, a feed screw for producing a transverse movement thereof,-means 0] )eratively connected to the screw for simultaneously froducinga rotative movement of the carrier, and means for driving the feed screwalternately in oppositedirections, of an automatic index mechanism ,forproducingh rotative adjustment of tlieicarrler during each return strokeof the carrier, a pair of reciprocating tools cutting alternately, fromopposite sides of the blank toward the center, and means for liftingthev tools out of range of the gear blank duringv the entire returnstroke of the carrier.

7. In a gear-cutting machine, the combination with arotary blankcarrier, a feed screu"for producing a transverse movement th ereof,means operatively connected to the screw for simultaneously producing arotative movement. of the carrier, and means for drivingthe feed screwalternately in opposite directions, of an automatic index mechanism forproducing a rotati ve adjustment of the earner during each return strokeof the carrier, a pair of shapers pivotally adjustable and havingreciprocating cutting tools operating at an angle to each other insubstantially the same plane, and means for operatively connecting theshapers, whereby they are adapted to cut alternately from o posite sidesof the gear blank toward the central plane.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th dayofOct, 1912.

ALBERT KINGS'BURY.

\Vitnesscs:

Gonna E. MCGEE, B. B. Hnms.

